How to do it · start and finish
Left is the start. Right is the finish. Match the shape, then add load.
Push
Overhead Barbell Press
Standing press. Builds shoulders and the brace you actually need under a squat.
intermediateCult Gym floor
Shoulders · Triceps · Core · Barbell
How to handle weight
This lift jumps in small plates. 3–5 reps. If you cannot lock out without a hip dip, it is a push press — drop the load.
Usual programming
3–5 × 3–6.
Caution
Do not lean into a standing bench press. Glutes squeezed, ribs down. Cranky shoulders: landmine or seated dumbbell instead. Head through at the top — do not shruggingly trap the bar.
Setup
Bar on the front rack, elbows slightly in front, glutes squeezed.
Cues
- Head through at the top
- Glutes stay on
- Bar over mid-foot, not behind
Common mistakes
- Leaning back into a bench-press-in-the-air
- Soft knees that turn it into a push press by accident
- Rib flare
Home swap
Seated dumbbell press or pike push-up
